1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connection terminal with a connection terminal housing which is made of an insulating material, at least one conductor connection element located in it for connecting at least one external conductor, and at least one contact element which is electrically connected to the conductor connection element, in the connection terminal housing at least one conductor insertion opening for inserting a conductor to be connected and at least one actuation opening for actuating at least one conductor connection element being made. In addition, the invention relates to an electrical connecting clamp with two connection terminals and one terminal with a connection terminal and with a base body, the base body having a base housing and at least one metallic mating contact element located in it for making electrical contact with at least one contact element of the connection terminal.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical connection terminals are used together with the corresponding connectors for connecting an electrical conductor to an electrical device, especially to the circuit board of an electrical device. Depending on the embodiment, the electrical connection terminals can be made as a socket part or as a connection terminal part. Since the corresponding electrical connector is connected mechanically and electrically to the circuit board, while the electrical conductors are connected to the connection terminal, the stationary electrical connector as a result of its attachment to the circuit board is also often called the base body.
Various embodiments of electrical connection terminals and the corresponding connectors, i.e., different base bodies, are known from practice. Here, the various connection terminals differ especially by the different connection possibilities for the conductors which are to be connected. Thus, connection terminals with screw, spring force, crimp and insulation displacement contacts are known. Conversely, the connectors and the base bodies differ especially in whether the mating contact element is made as a pin contact or a jack. The embodiment with the pin contact constitutes the standard version. If the base body has a pin contact as the mating contact element, the base body is made as a socket part into which the connection terminal which then has a jack is inserted.
The known connection terminals are generally made for connection of several conductors, so that they have a plurality of conductor connection elements and contact elements. After connecting the individual conductors to the conductor connection elements, the connection terminal can then be simply inserted into the corresponding socket connectors of the base body. These connection terminals are often also called connection terminal connectors and the corresponding base bodies are called base strips.
It was stated at the beginning that, in addition to the connection terminal and terminal, the invention also relates to a connecting clamp. Using an electrical connecting clamp, two or more conductors can be connected to one another. Accordingly, a connecting clamp, in contrast to a terminal, does not have a connection terminal and a base body; instead, a connecting clamp has two connection terminals, one connection terminal being made as a connection terminal part and the other connection terminal as a socket part. Both electrical terminals and also electrical connecting clamps are extensively used in electrical installations, i.e., in installation systems, especially in switchgear.
Since less and less installation space is available in switchgear and switchgear cubicles, electrical connection terminals and the corresponding base bodies with smaller and smaller dimensions have been under development for years. The minimum distance (spacing) of the conductor connection elements located in the connection terminal housing depends essentially on the maximum cross section of the conductors to be connected. However, the reduction in the dimensions of the connection terminal housing, especially of the spacing, which is desired for reasons of miniaturization, at the same time, leads to a limitation of the maximum allowable currents which may flow via the connected conductors and especially the maximum allowable rated voltage and the rated insulation voltage.